Top flanging beam mechanism for flanging and spinning machine



1964 D. J. DONATO TOP FLANGING BEAM MECHANISM FOR FLANGING AND SPINNING MACHINE Original Filed Nov. 12, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. flamz'm'ck JDanbTa.

BY %m, %d/ YW ATTORNEYS.

Oct. 20, 1964 J DONATO 3,153,437

TOP FLANGING BEAM MECHANISM FOR FLANGING AND SPINNING MACHINE Original Filed Nov. 12, 1957 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Dom/nick JDonaZ'o.

United States Patent 3,153,437 TOP FLANGING BEAM MECHANISM FOR FLANGENG AND SPENNBNG MAQHENE Dominick J. Donate, Coatesviiie, P2,, assignor to 'Lukens Steel Company, Coatesville, Pa, in corporation of Pennsylvania Original application Nov. 12, 1957, Ser. No. 695,572, now Patent No. 2,995,170, dated Aug. 8, 1961. Divided and this application Apr. 13, 1961, Ser. No. 1tl2,868

7 Claims. (Cl. 153--28) This invention relates to the structure of a top flanging beam mechanism forming a part of a fianging or spinning machine. Machines of this general type are illustrated in the United States patent to Vanderslice No. 79,518, granted July 18, 1905, or the British patent to Daniel Adamson & Co., Limited No. 516,287, accepted December 29, 1939. The present invention is a division of my earlier filed application Serial No. 695,572, filed November 12, 1957, now US. Patent No. 2,995,170, granted August 8, 1961.

Machines of this type are used for flanging or spinning large workpieces, some of which are very large in size. The machines may be capable, by way of example, of spinning a flued head over twenty feet in diameter. Various shaped heads or other articles may be formed by making suitable adjustments of the machine parts of the apparatus. Extreme accuracy in clamping and rotating the workpiece is necessary so as to maintain the workpiece on the same vertical axis while it is being rotated and while being shaped or formed by the rollers or other tools used in the spinning operation, even though heavy side pressure forces are used on the workpiece by the forming tools. Additionally, the work may have opposing side forces simultaneously applied to it to produce compound circular portions on the work.

When the size is large, and its diameter may be twenty feet or more, the workpiece heavier gage metal is usually required, which makes it necessary to use greater forming pressures, thus requiring heavier clamping forces to be applied to the workpiece during the spinning or flanging operation. A machine of the kind herein fter described makes it possible to spin heads to large diameters, thereby avoiding in many cases sectional or progressive forming. Such heads are produced by both spinning and pressing and can be formed to over six inches in thickness. Spun heads as small as twelve inches in diameter, pressed heads as small as four inches in diameter, and others as large as 108 inches in diameter may be produced on the machine of this invention. Such heads must be accurate and uniform in all respects in order to suit them to production assembly requirements.

In addition to the various ferrous metals and their alloys, the present invention is capable of forming heads and analogous structure from clad steels, nickel, aluminum, Monel, lnconel, Navy Brass, copper and other mate rials. One-piece construction of articles and functional design avoid the need for building up parts by welding or ,hogging them out by machining.

The principal object is to provide a machine of the type heretofore referred to which comprises a novel clamping beam.

Another object is to improve the construction of a top clamping beam and to positively lock the beam in position during the spinning, pressing or other operations on the workpiece.

A further object is to provide a mobile clamping beam that may be quickly moved into position above the workpiece prior to operations thereon, and which may be readily moved, preferably on tracks, to a position away from its working position. Moving the top clamping beam away from its working position, such as its flanging position, allows free movement for removal of the head 3,i53,437 C6 Patented Get. 20, 1964 from the machine and also provides room for placing a workpiece on the machine prior to the forming operation.

Other objects will appear hereinafter throughout the specification.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view, partly in section, of the entire structure;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the structure shown in FIGURE 1 with the racks omitted for the sake of clarity;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged view of the upper end of one of the vertical supports and one end of the clamping beam, both partly in vertical section; and

FIGURE 4 is a view looking in the direction of the arrow 4-4 of FIGURE 1.

Flanging and spinning machines of the type illustrated herein preferably employ a main bottom spindle of the type disclosed and claimed in my earlier filed application supra, of which the present invention is a division, and the means for raising, lowering and holding in adjusted position the said main spindle will not be discussed herein.

Referring now to the drawings, the numerals 1t and 12 indicate a pair of vertical columns forming supports for the top clamping beam 14. Main bottom spindle 16 extends upwardly from the housing 18, and its rotation and elevating and lowering means has not been shown but may be the same as that disclosed in my application noted supra. The floor line is shown by the dash line 20. Conventional parts include the quadrant 22, forming rollers 24 and 26, while other parts not constituting elements of the present invention are shown for purposes of illustration only.

The top clamping beam supports substantially midway of its length the hydraulic cylinder or ram 28, the latter supporting the top spindle 30.

The upper and lower spindles are provided with usual clamping means and formers, not shown, as shown in the patents noted supra.

The vertical columns 10 and 12 are provided with the inner recessed portions 32 and 34, each forming a base for the tracks 36 and 38. The top clamping beam has opposite ends which are accommodated by the recessed portions when the beam is in its operating position with the top spindle 30 over the bottom main spindle 16, and

the ends of the beam are provided with carriages 40 and 42, as seen in FIGURES 1 and 3. These carriages support pairs of wheels 44 and 46 which permit the beam to travel on the tracks. Carriages 4t) and 42 are mounted in boxes 48 and 50, respectively.

The vertical columns 1t) and 12 are each provided with clamping mechanisms for clamping the beam 14 and spindle 30 in rigid position. Referring now to FIGURES 1 and 3, these clamping mechanisms comprise fluid cylinders 52 and 54 having pairs of fluid lines 56, 58 and 60, 62. Each of these pairs of fluid lines lead to opposite sides of pistons located in cylinders 52 and 54. While these pistons are not shown, nor are the systems to which the lines are connected, it will be understood that fluid may be led through lines 56 and 60 to the top of the cylinders 52 and 54 while fluid is leaving the underside of each piston through lines 58 and 62 by the manipulation of any well known hydraulic system, which would include a tank, pump and manually or automatically controlled valve. The operation of the valve in one direction would cause fluid to flow to the tops of said cylinders and exit at the lower ends of said cylinders on opposite sides of the pistons in a well known manner.

The pistons are mounted on piston rods 64 and 66, the

lower ends of which are pivotally connected to rocking levers 68 and 70, the latter being pivotally mounted on supports 72 and 74 located below recesses 32 and 34 of the vertical supports lt) and 12. The opposite ends of with seats 88 and 90, which are adapted to be engaged by plungers 3t! and 82 when the pistons in cylinders 59 and 52 are moved downwardly by fluids simultaneously entering the tops thereof from lines 56 and 60. When the valve, not shown, is reversed to move in the opposite direction through the fluid lines or conduits, the fluid moves into cylinders 52, 54 through lines 53, 62 below the pistons to move them up and out of lines 56, 58 above the pistons in said cylinders, thus releasing plungers 80 and 82 from the undersides of the clamping beam.

Mounted on the rear portion of clamping beam 14, as best shown in FIGURE 2, is a reversible electric motor 92 which is connected to a speed reducing mechanism 94 also mounted on said beam. The speed reducing mechanism is connected to a line shaft 96, On the ends of this shaft are mounted gears 98 and 100, respectively, which mesh with racks, one of which, 102, is shown in FIGURE 4. These racks are identical and are mounted on a part of the superstructure forming part of the inclosure in which the apparatus is located, or on any other suitable stationary fixture within the plant.

Rotation of the gears by the motor in either direction will cause movement of the horizontal beam to and from its working position, assuming the plungers 8t) and 82 are not in engagement with beam seats 88, 90. Each pinion does not closely engage its rack when they are in driving position. The pinions are forced up slightly, possibly a quarter of an inch, by each plunger by the upward movement of the top clamping beam when the plungers 8t 82 are forced upwardly to engage seats 88, 90 when the rocking levers 68 and 7% are moved in a clockwise direction, as viewed in FIGURE 1, by the hydraulic fluid in cylinders 56, 6%). Liquid is passed into the cylinders at their top portions at this time through lines 56, 60 and exhausted through lines 58, 62 to the tank of the system.

As a further means for locking the beam in place in its proper horizontal position with top spindle 30 over bottom spindle 16, the top clamping beam is provided on its top with tongue members M6 and 108 for engagement with grooves 110 and 112 located adjacent the upper undersides of the recesses 32 and 34 of the columns and 12. When the plungers 8t 82 are moved up wardly by the hydraulic means above noted and they engage the clamping beam, its slight upward movement causes the tongues 166, 108 to firmly engage in the grooves lit), 112. This forms an additional means for preventing movement of the clamping beam during spinning and pressing operations of the machine.

It will be appreciated how necessary it is to maintain the beam stationary during such pressing and spinning operations, especially when it is realized that accuracy is not sacrificed in order to produce heads of over 20 feet in diameter and having a thickness of up to or over 6 inches, some of the metals of which the heads are composed being clad metals of Various degrees of hardness.

It will be understood from the foregoing description, and by the drawings, that I have provided a very eflicient mechanism for spinning and pressing operations using formers and dies for obtaining dished style heads of different shapes, even heads of over 20 feet in diameter which are accurate and uniform in all respects; that the top clamping beam may be quickly brought to its workengaging position and positively clamped in that position wherein the top spindle may be moved to its operative position by the motor 92, the top clamping beam being clamped in fixed position by the hydraulically operated plungers 80 and 82 which engage the beam and move it upwardly so as to lockingly engage the tongue members 106, 108 with the grooves Hit and 112. It will be further understood that the adjustment whereby the beam is positively locked in position will be effected usually prior to the operation of lowering the spindle 30 to operative position, and in all instances before spinning and pressing operations are begun, i.e., before the tools engage the work.

The above description and drawings disclose a single embodiment of the invention, and specific language has been employed in describing the several figures. It will, nevertheless, be understood that no limitations of the scope of the invention are thereby contemplated, and that various alterations and modifications may be made such as would occur to one skilled in the art to which the invention relates.

I claim:

1. In a flanging and spinning machine, a main bottom spindle, a movable top clamping beam having ends provided with carriages, a frame member for rollingly supporting said beam, said beam having a top spindle mounted substantially medially thereon, locking means to hold said top spindle in a fixed position over said bottom spindle, said locking means comprising hydraulic piston means mounted on said frame member for engaging each of said beam ends and hydraulic ram means associated with said bottom spindle for urging a workpiece upwardly into engagement with said top spindle.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said frame member includes a pair of recessed columns having carriage tracks therein.

3. The structure of claim 2 wherein the upper surfaces of said beam ends and said recessed columns are provided with cooperating tongue and groove means.

4. In a flanging and spinning machine, a main bottom spindle, a movable top clamping beam having ends provided with carriages, a frame member comprising a pair of recessed columns having carriage tracks therein for rollingly supporting said beam, a top spindle mounted substantially medially on said beam, locking means to hold said top spindle in a fixed position over said bottom spindle, said locking means comprising hydraulic piston means in engagement with each of the ends of said beam adjacent said tracks and hydraulic ram means associated with said bottom spindle for urging a workpiece upwardly into engagement with said top spindle.

5. The structure of claim 4 wherein the upper surfaces of said beam ends and said recessed columns are provided with engaged tongue and groove means.

6. In a fianging and spinning machine, a main bottom spindle, a movable top clamping beam having ends provided with carriages, a frame member comprising a pair of recessed columns having carriage tracks therein for rollingly supporting said beam, means for propelling said beam on said tracks, a top spindle mounted substantially medially on said beam, locking means to hold said top spindle in a fixed position over said bottom spindle, said locking means comprising hydraulic piston means in engagement with each of the ends of said beam and hy- References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,128,373 8/38 Mekelburg 74-527 2,564,884 8/51 De Sternberg 74-527 2,596,347 5/52 Spalford 212-21 FOREIGN PATENTS 516,287 12/39 Great Britain.

CHARLES W. LANHAM, Primary Examiner, W. A. WILTZ, Examiner. 

1. IN A FLANGING AND SPINNING MACHINE, A MAIN BOTTOM SPINDLE, A MOVABLE TOP CLAMPING BEAM HAVING ENDS PROVIDED WITH CARRIAGES, A FRAME MEMBER FOR ROLLINGLY SUPPORTING SAID BEAM, SAID BEAM HAVING A TOP SPINDLE MOUNTED SUBSTANTIALLY MEDIALLY THEREON, LOCKING MEANS TO HOLD SAID TOP SPINDLE IN A FIXED POSITION OVER SAID BOTTOM SPINDLE, SAID LOCKING MEANS COMPRISING HYDRAULIC PISTON MEANS MOUNTED ON SAID FRAME MEMBER FOR ENGAGING EACH OF SAID BEAM ENDS AND HYDRAULIC RAM MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID BOTTOM SPINDLE FOR URGING A WORKPIECE UPWARDLY INTO ENGAGEMENT WITH SAID TOP SPINDLE. 